I was lucky enough to be able to be in San Francisco this Christmas, and decided to explore “The Gold Coast” of Pacific Heights, which is on Broadway between Divisadero and Lyon Streets. I had read an interesting article in the October issue of the Vanity Fair magazine about this uber tony block where one must be at least a multi-millionaire, if not a billionaire, AND, it is said, “connected”, in order to live here.

As a realtor, and a lover of luxury real estate AND San Francisco, it was exciting to be able to take a look for myself at these amazing properties, at least the exteriors. Coming from the desert area, where most ultra-luxury homes are hidden behind the private gates with security guards or high, thick hedges, these AMAZING homes were on open display! And I was not the only one taking photos!

Besides this neighborhood having some of the best possible views of the San Francisco Bay, with a fabulous view of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island, along with the various sea-going vessels that glide around the bay, this neighborhood is adjacent to a section of the Presidio Park and seems pretty private, yet amazingly open! Although this part of the Presidio Park is dissected by a busy street, there is enough of a park for dog-lovers to enjoy with their dogs, should you happen to be in the neighborhood.

And as previously mentioned, one has to have some serious money to buy a property here, whether it’s Old Money or New Money. One of the interesting developments, as documented in the Vanity Fair article, is that there is some tension between the Old Money, as represented by such folks as the Gettys, grand dame Denise Hale, the Trainas, and so on. Particularly Denise Hale is written to not be at all thrilled with the New Money as represented by high tech scions such as part-time desert resident Larry Ellison and let’s just say some “lucky ducks” who cashed in at just the right time in the game of high tech IPOs, such as Michael and Xochi Birch, who sold their social media Bebo.com to AOL for a gazillion dollars just before the “dot bomb” happened and now a few years later, they have bought it back for just a mere $1 million. If you go to their website, you will see it is still basically “under construction”. After watching the “infomercial” for the website, it is easy to see why Denise Hale and the Birches would not seem to have much in common!!

Judging from the map of “The Gold Coast” in the Vanity Fair article, this is most likely the exterior of the Birches’ fabulous Pacific Heights home. The lavish interior features a dramatic all teal blue living room, designed by in-demand 47 year old interior designer Ken Fulk, and is displayed in the Vanity Fair article. Michael Birch is British and is a fan of English pubs, so I guess it is only natural that he actually had the entire interior of one brought in and installed into this house! Apparently he and his wife certainly know how to throw great parties! He hired two Beefeater guards from the Drake Hotel to flank the entryway for one of his parties. How fun!

The house pictured above belongs to Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle and now owner of the desert’s Indian Wells Tennis Gardens where world-class tennis tournaments take place each year. Larry has grand homes around the world, however this one seems a bit modest compared to his neighbors in this neighborhood. And it certainly has a more contemporary, modern edge to it. He paid $3.9 mil for it, and according to the Vanity Fair article, he completely remodeled the house in this modern style that some of his neighbors supposedly disapprove of, since it is so different from the other homes on the street. He also took a neighbor to court in order to get the right to have the tops of their trees trimmed in order to make his view of the bay unobstructed. Another bit of drama is that Nicola Miner, the daughter of the co-founder of Oracle with whom Larry had reportedly clashed with, bought the property directly across from his, and placed a nine-foot robot with a steel gas-pump penis in her front terrace. Some people read some antagonistic meaning into that, however, the Vanity Fair article states that Ms. Miner denies that the robot has anything to do with Mr. Ellison, and that their relationship is “largely harmonious”. Here is a photo of the robot sculpture, which is apparently offensive to some of the neighbors.

I think it is hilarious, personally! One has to really look to notice it in the grand scheme of things, as the following photos shows.

There is a public stairway down to the next street where there were many people jogging up and down burning off calories from haven eaten “too many See’s Candies chocolates” during Christmas season, which is what I overheard from one of the joggers.

A beautiful formal garden halfway down the stairs invites sitting down and taking in the views.

There also happens to be a private residence there. Not such a bad deal to have a fabulous public garden right there for which the upkeep you are not responsible for!

Here is a street shot of the block:

And here is another:

And another:

Judging from the map in Vanity Fair, the home below belongs to Trevor Traina, a scion of one of San Francisco’s most established families. I love the green house, where I saw some palm fronds, and wonder if they have some orange trees and an herb garden as well. Certainly a great place for a cup of tea or a glass of wine with some friends! Trevor Traina is credited with bringing his New Money pals who are internet moguls into the neighborhood.

Perhaps my favorite mansion is one that is apparently owned by a highly successful doctor, a wedding-cake classical house, pictured below:

And here is the side view:

All I can say is, that IF I do win a mega millions jackpot, I will most certainly buy a home in this area if possible!

Cupcake & Me in front of $1.7 million dollar Bugatti on Rodeo Drive in front of Bijan

Beverly Hills, Dec. 31, 2011 and Jan. 1, 2011

When my friend Jane offered me her apartment to use while she was visiting relatives in New York City for New Years, I decided to take her up on that offer. Beverly Hills is one of my favorite places in the world, so why not celebrate New Years Eve and Day there?

As my Chihuahua puppy Cupcake and I strolled down Rodeo Drive, we joined the small crowd of people ogling the late Bijan’s $1.7 million Bugatti parked outside his eponymous men’s clothing store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills on the last day of 2011. I have since learned that Bijon, a man of great style and remembered with a perpetual smile in all his photos, died this past year at the young age of 67 of a stroke. But his store and car are still around and attracting fans.

Cupcake and I then headed to one of my favorite restaurants Villa Blanca, which is owned by Lisa Vanderpump of the reality TV show “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”, and her husband Ken Vanderpump.

And who should come right by my table where I was sitting with Cupcake, but Ken Vanderpump himself! I greeted him and asked him how was Giggy, his and Lisa’s now famous adorable Pomeranian dog. He good-naturedly said that’s what so-and-so (someone just a couple tables down from me) just asked him, and he added that Giggy was fine, and I introduced him to Cupcake, whom he petted briefly. I told him I’m looking forward to the next episode of the show. I had actually bumped into him a few weeks ago while checking out their other restaurant Sur on Robertson Boulevard, and asked him about Giggy then too. I’m sure he gets asked about their beloved Giggy all the time! After he moved on to attend to his duties of the day, all of a sudden I heard some people across the street singing “Happy Birthday” to someone at Villa Blanca. Lo and behold, there is Lisa Vanderpump dressed in a demure gray and white outfit holding none other than Giggy himself, leading the song! I should have taken a photo at that moment but I was too mesmerized. It was a surreal moment to witness this and especially after talking to Ken Vanderpump. Forget about Reality TV, this was Reality!

Of course, afterwards, I was thinking it would be fun to introduce Cupcake to Giggy, but I then I thought it would be better not to. I’m sure Lisa was very busy attending to her guests there. I have been there for dinner a few times with friends, and it is a magical place. You feel as if you could be on the French Riviera or Cabo San Lucas (I’ve been to both), or Ibiza or St. Barths (haven’t been to those two places yet). All airy whites, silvers, crystal, enormous bouquets of white flowers, simple yet luxuriant country style. Wonderful ambiance. After lunch, Cupcake and I walked around Rodeo Drive and surrounding streets, people-watching and window-shopping, perhaps the best in the world. When New Year’s Eve finally arrived, I dressed up in my favorite dress, from Nanette Lepore, and my favorite evening shoes, Louboutin look-alikes by Guess, and my new necklace, a Christmas gift from a good friend, and drove down Sunset Boulevard just for fun. Drove by all the hotspots, the House of Blues, The Roxy, The Key Room, The Comedy Store, the Chateau Marmont. There were people out but not huge crowds. Many people, even in Los Angeles, spend New Year’s Eve at private parties, apparently, or just play it safe and stay at home. I went back to the apartment to park my car, and walked practically across the street and thru a passageway to one of my favorite hotspots in Beverly Hills, Cafe Roma. There I met new friends and had a ball. It was a great way to spend New Year’s Eve.

The crowd there was eclectic and having fun. There was a DJ and people were dancing. Including me!

Everyone got into the act!

It was a wonderful ambiance, and although the music was loud, one could still carry on conversations.

The spirit was upbeat, and balloons floated around.

In general, I had a total blast, and it was a New Year’s Eve I will always remember!

After the countdown to the New Year 2012, confetti was released from the ceiling and it fluttered down on us and into our drinks.

I didn’t indulge too much in drinking martinis thankfully, so the next morning, Cupcake and I headed out to have breakfast at one of my favorite spots for breakfast in Beverly Hills, Le Pain Quotidien, which is very dog-friendly with its outdoor tables. It’s got a great French country chic ambiance as well. You never know who you’ll see there. Once I saw actor Michael York buying some bread there. It’s a very pleasant place to read the morning papers (borrowed from someone else there usually), drink some fresh squeezed orange juice, nibble on the fresh baked bread and sample one of the delicious omelets.

After re-fueling, Cupcake and I embarked on a long hike throughout the tree-lined streets of the residential section of Beverly Hills, starting with the parks.

The residential streets are lined with mostly palatial homes that are simply gorgeous. I’d love to list one or more of them, after all, I’m a realtor with Power Brokers International, and we have an office in Beverly Hills, as well as in Palm Desert. Let’s face it, I’d love to own one of these fabulous mansions! Cupcake would love rolling around in the grass.

Bushy-tailed squirrels dashed about doing their business in the grass and in the luxurient leafy trees. This house looks comfy, eh? There were some teardowns, here and there, but I expect they won’t last long. Most of the homes along the residential boulevards were beautifully kept mansions. Some were reminiscent of homes in New England or in the Hamptons, while others were more Italian or French-inspired.

Many of the homes have gated driveways, and some with security cameras, and high walls of brick and mortar or of manicured bushes, but others are surprisingly “open”, as in no wall, no gates, just out in the open in plain view.

There are many beautiful parks around Beverly Hills for everyone to enjoy, whether walking, jogging or strolling with the dog.

With Cupcake, I’m never alone!

After our long stroll, Cupcake and I refuel at the Beverly Hills Deli, where they were kind to bring a little bowl of water for Cupcake. Then, for desert we headed to my favorite cupcake bakery Crumbs, on Santa Monica Boulevard.

On the way back to the apartment, we met a Chihuahua that was even smaller than Cupcake. His name was Mario and he is a teacup Chihuahua who is seven years old! His owners had just bought him the sweater he is wearing in the photo at the Ralph Lauren store on Rodeo Drive, which is where this photo was taken.

Soon, it was time for Cupcake and me to head back to the desert, although I was tempted to take him to the beach since it was so downright HOT!

Before we left, I indulged Cupcake in one of his favorite things to do in Beverly Hills: rolling around with delight in the green grass!

Cupcake LOVES to roll around in the cool, green grass of Beverly Hills

One of the great benefits of living in the desert, as we call the desert cities of which the most famous is Palm Springs, is that if you can’t take the heat of the summer here, you can just hop in your car, and in approximately in two and half hours, you will be at the fabulous beaches of Malibu!

I was there yesterday for the Malibu Arts Festival, where there were many artists and artisans there with their arts and crafts. There were also food trucks and live music, to round out the fun experience.

After that I headed almost directly across the street to the Malibu Colony Beach, which is mostly reserved for surfers. That’s fine with me, because I love to watch the surfers and the water is too cold for me to swim in it anyway.

The extra added bonus of going to this beach is that you walk down a dirt path past the Malibu Lagoon where many varieties of birds flock and it is surrounded by many fragrant shrubs and flowers. It’s a great little nature walk. Some of the birds that you will see there are great blue herons, white egrets, seagulls, pelicans, terns and others.

Brown Pelicans dominate this crowd of birds in the Malibu Lagoon

After enjoying the joyous scene at the beach of surfers and children frolicking at the edge of the shore, I decided to head over to the newly reopened Malibu Inn.

Although they need to seriously improve their food (I had to return two different dishes, and I rarely ever return anything), the service was excellent and it was a great place to meet the very interesting Malibu locals, many who are connected to the entertainment industry.

After leaving there around 9:45 pm, I was home around midnight after another glorious getaway to the legendary seaside town of Malibu, and back to my beloved desert home.

I received an e-mail flyer about an exciting Broker’s Open House in a $1.695 mil condo in Marina Del Rey the other day, so I decided to go check it out. It was going to be filmed for a show on HGTV, which added another layer of excitement to the adventure.

When I pulled up, I saw that they had a valet service for the brokers! We don’t see that very often, if ever, out here in the desert for Broker Open Houses!

The outside of the building was bland, the stairs leading to the hallway to the door of the condo, likewise unimpressive. But once inside, one was transported to a Balinese fantasy with designer finishes on three floors, and lush greenery outside the balconies. The only problem is that the other condos in this older building had not been similarly updated and jazzed up, but maybe they will follow suit eventually.

The TV camera crew was there filming the scene of realtors exploring the condo, or chatting in the kitchen area, and the realtor who was hosting the open house was the image of a young Hollywood star.

Even though I was not a “local” realtor, everyone was very friendly and talkative.

I spoke with someone who owns a fabulous, fully furnished Mediterranean three story home, with a rooftop deck, on the Grand Canal which was across the street from the condo where the open house was. He and his wife are leasing it, asking for $12,500 month, and so if anyone reading this is interested, please contact me, because I can arrange a tour of it if you are seriously interested in leasing a property in this prestigious area, just 4 minutes away from the beach. Many celebrities and dignataries have leased this home long-term, so it is a wonderful opportunity.

Not only is it so close to the beach, but to the south, there is the largest man-made marina with many fine restaurants, but to the north, it is bordered by Venice Beach and is an eclectic, established neighborhood with many cafes, restaurants and boutiques. The hip Abbot Kinney Road, lined with boutiques and eateries, is a short stroll away.

An attendee at the open house gave me a hot tip, that just around the corner was another party at a brand new condominium called Lattitude 33, comprised of three mid-rise buildings. Is mid-rise a word? Well, they aren’t quite high rise. These modern condominiums seemd to me to be a good value, starting in the low $800s.

Entering the courtyard of Latitude 33 for the party

The party was great for people-watching and swelled in size as the night went on.

Great people watching!

There was a silent auction of surfboards that were painted upon by artists, starting off at $400, all to benefit the charity “Heal the Bay”.

The sunset from the second story exposed hallway was spectacular!

Marina Del Rey Sunset

The band that played was very talented and I hope to see them at the Emmy’s someday winning an award. The name of the band is Makepeace Brothers, and the two lead singers and guitar players are actually THE Makepeace brothers, that is their real name. And some of the songs they sang were about peace and love.

At about 9:30 pm, things wound down and it was time to hit the road, back to my beloved desert.

Keep in mind, if you or anyone you know is looking for a fabulous house to rent in this fabulous area, please contact me for more information.

Southern California offers such a rich diversity of wonderful places to live! If you have the means, you can choose to also have a second or even third home! Why not?

A home in the desert, whether it’s your primary, secondary or tertiary, is very desirable for so many reasons, as people who have been here know.

During the winter and spring months, it’s simply divine weather here, for the most part. Surrounded by mountains, groves of palm trees, blossoming trees and colorful flowers in great abundance, what is not to like? Rain is unusual, and so hiking, biking, golfing, tennis, swimming and horseback riding are the order of the day. Or watching polo games, shopping along El Paseo, dining at our many restaurants may be. It’s all up to you! At night, there are the casinos, or concerts and top entertainers at the McCallum Theatre, or take in a newly released hot movie. So much to do, so little time!

The fabulous modern contemporary home pictured above is in Palm Springs, however each desert city offers its own charms and attractions. Palm Springs has the world class cachet and world recognition, but some of the best luxury real estate in the desert can also be found in Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells and La Quinta.

During the year, you might get the itch for some Big City excitement. What better place to go than the new L.A.Live area, the new Times Square West area, around the Staples Center of downtown LA?

Fabulous new condos in downtown LA!

I explored some of the new condos in downtown LA, and I was impressed! I took the photo above from the pool area of the EVO condos, a 24 story, eco-friendly constructed complex. The two sister condo buildings at the left of the photo, the Elleven and the Luma condos sold out immediately when they were completed during the hey-day of real estate buying, just before the 2008 crash. There are some resales in there now, some short sales and some foreclosures, for the bargain-hunting buyers. However, at EVO, which is brand new construction, there are now only 30 units left to buy. The great downtown location with all its entertainment venues, along with many amenities that come with the condos, and most importantly, the spectacular views afforded by the walls of glass, combined, make these condos quite attractive indeed! Prices at EVO start at around the low $500,000s.

I understand that it’s mostly owner-occupied in these condos, which attract mostly professionals who work in downtown LA, but also many empty nesters.

To step it up quite a few notches, there are the fabulous new condos at the Ritz-Carlton Residences. This building can be seen to the far right of the photo above, and is a spectacular, blue-hued tower that sparkles at night. I learned that they just closed escrow on their first condo residence just recently! About one third of the condos are still available, and most are still waiting to be completed. These condos with spectacular floor to ceiling views have attracted top entertainment figures in music and sports, as well as those who can afford this level of luxury and want to be in the midst of all the excitement that L.A. Live has to offer. Don’t forget the Walt Disney Hall is close by as well as too many interesting markets, venues, restaurants and attractions to list here! Prices start at around $800,000 and the amenities are top-notch, as you can imagine!

Finally, on a hot day, where else would you want to be but at the beach? And perhaps the most amazing stretch of beachfront properties to be found in the world are in Malibu!

To have a house on the beach in Malibu would be like a dream come true in many people’s minds, and there is quite the variety of homes to choose from along this rarified 27 mile stretch of shoreline.

Spectacular views from this newly built Malibu beach house!

Last time I looked, they were asking $14 million for this newly constructed home with this to-die-for view of the Pacific Ocean. I have a feeling that if it is still available, it is listed for considerably less. However it does have a great location on Malibu Road, very near Malibu Colony, which is gated and perhaps the priciest real estate in Malibu.

If you watch the Bravo show “Million Dollar Listing” like I do, you can see that there are spectacular houses on the beach in Malibu listed for in the $5 million range now. Amazing but true!

Now that our MLS encompasses real estate from the desert to the sea, I can help you make your dreams come true, from a fabulous desert getaway, to a condo in the midst of the excitement of downtown LA, to the best beachfront property perhaps in the world!

You know, it’s just a 2 hour drive to LA and an additional 20 minutes to Santa Monica, from the desert, so when you’re in the mood for the excitement of the city or the refreshment of being on the beach, just hop in your car! Hopefully you won’t encounter any traffic on the way.

I just decided on a whim to check out the new shopping mall in Santa Monica called Santa Monica Place located on Colorado at 4th St. It has one of my favorite stores, Bloomingdales, along with many upscale boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, Burbury and Coach as well as unusual boutiques such as AllSaints Spitalfields, a very hip London clothing store, and Bird Pick, a great place to explore and buy gourment teas and utensils for making the best tea.

AllSaints Spitalfields has hip fashions from London

After I did a bit of shopping, I rushed over to downtown LA to go to the new Grammy Museum, which is really worth a look, if you love music. There is quite the tribute to John Lennon there, and many interesting momentos from rock greats such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, and many, many others from other genres such as Jazz, Latin Music, and more.

Janis Joplin's colorful Porsche

I noticed all the parking lot attendants hawking special parking rates for an event, so I asked what the event was. LO and BEHOLD, it was a concert by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd! Well, well, I got to thinking I just might want to see that concert.

But first I wanted to check out the sexy new building of the Ritz Carleton & JW Marriott, since I am a fan of fantastic architecture, which is one of the reasons I travelled all the way to Dubai and Shanghai. So I explored their lobbies and took an elevator to the bar and restaurant on the 24th floor of the Ritz Carleton, where I sat down and took in a glorious view of the City of Angels. While nibbling on my Peking Duck wraps and sipping on a glass of a South African Sauvignon Blanc, I also people-watched and over heard some of their conversations. They were all going to the Roger Waters concert! I decided to definitely go to the concert myself as well.

So after paying my bill, I hustled out down to the Staples Center and immediately found someone who was selling a ticket for $50, although the face value on the ticket was $75 plus $12 processing fee, so I made out pretty well, and rushed in to find my seat which had an excellent view.

Staples Center in downtown LA

The Roger Waters concert was awesome, and was really quite the experience, due to the impressive multimedia presentation and crowd participation, not to mention the bold political statements. It was a joyous event and I’m so glad I got to participate.

The area around the Staples Center is becoming like Times Square, full of huge video billboards and surrounded by glitzy hotels, restaurants and boutiques and is now quite the destination. There are still the older hotels, such as the Moroccan-themed Hotel Figueroa and old nostalgic cafes, too, to add extra flavor and character to the area.

After the show, I went to my car, and drove back home to the desert in two hours. It was a great day and night in LA. And it’s always nice to get back home to the beautiful desert!

There’s a certain magic in the air in Malibu. I feel it every time I am there.

The highlights on this most recent trip included the simply amazing Open House I went to on Malibu Road. The view from the deck off the Master Bedroom is shown in the above photo. The minute you walk into the house you are mesmerized by the views of the ocean and the sea breeze caressing your face. This house is available for sale at $14, 950,000, which I am sure is negotiable. If you or anyone you know is interested in buying it, please contact me! I can represent your best interests and ONLY your interests. Besides the stunning views, features in this 4 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom 4110 square foot home include a Lutron Control home automation system, beautiful stone floors and simple spare lines throughout. The neighboring homes are spectacular as well, so you will be in excellent company.

If that wasn’t amazing enough, the $300,000,000 mega-yacht named simply “A” was anchored just off-shore, within view from all the Malibu beaches. The best view was from the prestigious Carbon Beach, where many homes of celebrities line the shoreline. Carbon Beach is also a wonderfully wide stretch of sandy shore.

"A" for Andrey?

This unique mega-yacht is owned by 38-year old Russian oligarch Andrey (also spelled Andrei) Melnichenko who is married to a Serbian former model. They married a couple years ago on the French Riviera, and he flew in Christina Aguillera to perform for their guests.

Rumor has it that the gazillionaire is planning to purchase up an entire block of homes in the Venice Canals in the beachside town of Venice, just down the coast from Malibu. A source posted on the internet that his title company confirmed that title requests were submitted on such a block there.

One of several cylinders full of fascinating fish

Nearby the Malibu Road manse is the Lumber Yard, a fabulous space, only about two years old in the Crossroads shopping area, just off PCH or Pacific Coast Highway. This sleek but laid-back spot offers chic boutiques, restaurants and specialty fooderies, hair stylists and home decor. If you’re hungry, you will enjoy Cuban/Mexican fare at Cafe Habana, owned by super model Cindy Crawford’s husband Rande Gerber, who owns many restaurants, bars and lounges around the world. Or you just might want to satisfy your sweet-tooth at Crumbs Cupcakes or the geletaria, which offers Italian style gelato and frozen yogurt. Yum!

It’s great for people-watching, too, not to mention dog-watching. They love their dogs in Malibu! James Perse offers delicious complimentary drinks, the Arnold Palmer, which is an iced tea-lemonade mix, as well as nice lounges outside to relax on, if you are in the mood. Often, there is a mellow musician playing, adding a low-key soundtrack to your day. There are a couple cylinders with various fish, coral and sea plants in them. One is tropical and another is the California sea coast marinelife.

The vast majority of people in Malibu seem to be incredibly mellow, friendly and helpful, adding to the magical quality of time spent there. It’s a great place to go to in order to escape the desert heat in the summer!

Another place I love to start my day of exploring Malibu Beaches, boutiques and real estate, is at Moonshadows, located right on Pacific Coast Highway. It’s especially fabulous for lunch or brunch so you can take full advantage of the incredible ocean views. You are literally sitting over the ocean! You can’t get much closer than that to the ocean without getting wet! Great food, reasonable prices and a friendly staff is why I continue to return there and highly recommend it.